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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26916658">Serious (as a heart attack)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucdarling/pseuds/lucdarling'>lucdarling</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Ranger Things [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stranger Things (TV 2016)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Twins, Billy Hargrove &amp; Maxine "Max" Mayfield Have a Good Relationship, Coming Out, Crack Treated Seriously, F/M, Gay Billy Hargrove, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Jason Lee Scott and Billy Hargrove are twins, M/M, Neil Hargrove Being an Asshole, Neil Hargrove's A+ Parenting</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 01:00:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,855</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26916658</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucdarling/pseuds/lucdarling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Max invites Lucas over, figures it's fair since Billy's boyfriend is already somewhere in the house. The twins' bedroom door is closed and that's more than enough information for her, thank you very much.</p><p>She doesn't hear the front door open. Everything is very loud and happening too fast, ending with the six of them standing around a dead body.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington, Maxine "Max" Mayfield/Lucas Sinclair</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Ranger Things [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1938493</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>133</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Serious (as a heart attack)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For the anon on tumblr who prompted the idea that Neil learns about his children's boyfriends and it results in a heart attack! Poor Billy keeps getting hurt.</p><p>Once again, I know nothing about timelines, Power Rangers canon or what else anyone wants from this crossover. If you want to see something specific, drop a note in the comment box when you tell me what you thought of this.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Max's thoughts are focused on Lucas lying on top of her - how nice it feels to have his weight pressing her down onto the couch cushions, the feeling of his lips on hers.</p><p>If she was back in California and able to see him in the ocean, rather than the community pool or the one in Steve's backyard, it would truly be perfect. Someday, she and Billy have agreed, they’ll go back home and bring their friends.</p><p>Her point is, thinking about her surroundings isn't high on her list when Lucas is kissing her so sweetly and her hips are rising to chase that feeling as it bubbles up in her.</p><p>That's why she doesn't hear the front door open.</p><p>She hears it slam shut, though. It echoes in her ears as her blood freezes in her veins. It isn’t likely to be her brother, or Jason. Lucas rolls off of her, getting his feet under him at the last second so he doesn’t fall to the floor. Max sits up, cautious and mind moving almost too fast for her mouth to work.</p><p>Billy is somewhere in the house with Steve, probably doing things not dissimilar to Max and Lucas. They’ve worked out a system, the two of them when they’re home alone with their respective boyfriends. Jason is in town with his Billy, who they all played off as a good friend from Angel Grove. Max is pretty sure they’re dating though, considering Jason's old team had flown out for a visit on their spring break but only Billy Cranston has stayed the entire week.</p><p>Max knows there's a slim chance he will hear her, she still doesn't understand their Ranger powers. She gets to her feet, standing next to her boyfriend. Maybe super hearing isn't one of their special powers, but it doesn't matter.</p><p>She looks into Neil's rage dark eyes, watches Lucas slide a little in front of her - sweet, stupid Lucas - and screams.</p><p>"Billy!"</p><p>Neil doesn't flinch like Lucas does, a man too used to hearing a child shout in fear. He takes a step forward and Max narrows her eyes. Her throat hurts. She feels like she’s standing on the edge of a cliff.</p><p>"This is your boyfriend, Maxine?" Neil practically spits the words. She's a little surprised he isn't literally frothing at the mouth. Max doesn't think she's ever seen him this upset at Billy so quickly, zero to sixty.</p><p>"Yes," Max answers. Her voice is steady. She's not ashamed. Her hand fits neatly in Lucas's hand and he squeezes once, twice. "This is Lucas. We've been dating for a while."</p><p>She doesn't say that her mom has met Lucas and his parents at parent-teacher night, or that Lucas is the first boy who doesn't think he's better than her at video games. He makes her smile and remembers that she hates red Skittles.</p><p>"You're going to send that boy home now," Neil points towards the door, face growing ruddy in his anger. "Then you and I will have a discussion about the boys you bring home to empty houses and how you're too young to be dating."</p><p>Max knows the word discussion is very loosely used here; it’s more likely to be Neil yelling the same racial and misogynistic crap like he’s muttered under his breath when he watches the evening news. </p><p>Lucas is so very still beside her. To get out of the house, he would have to go past Neil. Max tightens her grip on his hand instead. She’s not letting Lucas within striking distance of her step-father. There's still the coffee table between them. Lucas could maybe use the back door for an escape if Neil didn’t catch him but she knows he would never leave Max on her own even if she found a way to communicate the idea to him.</p><p>"I want him out of my house, now." Neil warns when neither of them move. His hands start to curl into fists and his voice rises at the end.</p><p>"I'm sure you do," Billy says, appearing in the doorway to the kitchen. He crosses the room to stand in front of Max with easy steps, like he isn’t afraid. She feels herself relax at the sound of his voice, looking at his blond curls pulled up in a hasty bun. Steve is next to him in less than a minute, taking in the sight with a frown. Max tries to send him a small smile but she isn’t sure if her face cooperates. She might be shaking, it’s hard to tell as her vision focuses on Neil and Billy.</p><p>"Where were you, hmm?" Neil spins on him. Billy doesn't step back like Lucas at the vicious snarl. "I told you to watch your sister-" he cuts himself off, looking between the two of them.</p><p>Billy leans against the couch, insolence written into every line of his body as he waits for his father to speak. His shirt is a little too small on him and Max realizes it belongs to Steve in the same instant Neil does.</p><p>“You deviant.” Neil sneers. He says other, less savory words as he puts the pieces together.</p><p>Max bites into her bottom lip so she doesn’t laugh out loud. Billy has no such compunction, laughs straight into Neil’s face. He cuts it off quickly, on his own before Neil touches him. Max rises onto the balls of her feet, ready to dart in and tackle the man if he lays one hand on her brother.</p><p>“We’re here, we’re queer.” Billy gives a smirk to his old man. “Get used to it.” Max cheers a little on the inside. She loves this Billy, confident in himself. It’s been a long time since she’s seen him.</p><p>They both know what’s coming next though, the price of his rebellion. He doesn’t dodge the slap, staggers into Steve’s body with the force of it.</p><p>Lucas hisses, tugs Max back before she can go around Steve to jump on her step-father. “Hey, calm down. Don’t make it worse.” He whispers, high pitched and speaking quickly into her ear. “Steve’s right there, he can handle this.”</p><p>Max isn’t so sure, not when he’s got an armful of dazed Billy and no bat in sight. She hates how Billy always gets hurt, knows he takes it instead of her or Jay and her gut burns at how unfair their lives are.</p><p>Of course this moment is when the front door opens again, Jason and Billy C rushing in. They look frantic, eyes roving between Max and Lucas by the couch and holding hands with white knuckled grips, Billy and Steve just in front of them and Neil standing before all four of them. He’s too still in his anger, face flushed.</p><p>It’s a terrible scene, a moment frozen in time.</p><p>“What is going on?” Jason asks and his voice is the same one he uses when he’s leading the team into the Upside Down.</p><p>“Your brother is a-” Max coughs just so she won’t have to hear the slur again. It draws Neil’s attention to her.</p><p>“So you hit him?” Jason sounds tired. Billy C is standing behind him, watching with wide eyes. “Dad, sexuality isn’t something that can be changed. Also, we’re not in the 1950s anymore.”</p><p>Neil sputters as he turns to look at him and Max smiles.</p><p>“I don’t feel well,” Neil claims, hand moving up to clutch at his chest. His hairline is beaded with sweat.</p><p>“Dad?” Billy and Jason say together in unison as he collapses in front of all of them. His head hits the coffee table with an awful crunch Max will probably hear in her sleep.</p><p>Billy gets there first, dropping to his knees at his father’s side. Max leaves Lucas’s grip, presses against her older step-brother as Jason crouches down on Neil’s other side. Billy C and Steve are steps behind them. Lucas has his phone out, eyes wide but voice eerily calm as he tells the operator what happened.</p><p>“Dad?” Billy whispers as Jason puts two fingers against Neil’s neck. Billy C moves his hand gently to where the pulse should be.</p><p>Max doesn’t need Billy C to tell him what she already knows. Neil Hargrove is dead.</p><p>“Hey,” Steve’s face fills her vision as his warm hands settle on Max’s upper arms, drawing her back from the body. “Are you okay, Max? You’re shaking.”</p><p>Max looks down at her hands, the freckles dotting the backs of her hands. To her surprise, Steve is right.</p><p>“Is Billy okay?” she asks him instead. It seems to answer something as Steve hugs her close, tucks her head against his shoulder. It’s nice, Max thinks, he’s another older brother she didn’t ask for but got anyways.</p><p>“He’s fine, Max.” Steve tells her gently. “I meant before we got here though, you and Lucas are okay?”</p><p>“He just yelled at us,” Lucas answers him. Max is passed off to her boyfriend, moving from one strong hug to another one. Normally she might protest, she’s not a china doll but she knows Steve wants to go hug Billy and Billy needs it right now. His dad just died. In front of them.</p><p>Everything gets very loud and moves quickly, after that. The house fills with cops, Lucas and Steve have to go home. Max and Billy and Jason stand off to the side, watching the coroner silently before they’re ushered into the kitchen. Billy C stands with them until Jason says he’s fine, will meet him at the hotel tomorrow for breakfast as planned. The door shuts behind him with a quiet click, so different from what started the entire fiasco. Max covers her flinch by sitting at the kitchen table quickly. Billy doesn’t notice. Her brother who notices everything nowadays, stares out at the kitchen but Max knows he doesn’t see anything in front of him.</p><p>“This wasn’t your fault,” Jason says, still the leader even after everything. He looks at Billy directly, gaze steady as Billy bites at his nail. Billy nods slowly, finally meeting his gaze. Jason looks at Max next. “Either of you.” She shrugs instead of answering.</p><p>“It’s not your fault either, then.” Billy speaks and his voice is a wreck. Max doesn’t have to look at him to know there’s tears on his face. However rotten Neil was, he still raised Billy even if he didn’t do a good job of it.</p><p>Jason laughs as he sits next to Max at the table and Billy sinks into a chair on the other side of him. The hollow quality matches the one in Billy’s voice. Max leans her head on Jason’s arm. Her mom hasn’t come home yet, and she knows there will be lots of questions once she does.</p><p>Jason hums as a thought occurs to Max. They’re both orphans now. She doesn’t voice it out loud, tucks it away for later. She’ll talk to her mom, they can figure something out so both Jason and Billy can stay. Max is sure her mom will agree, even though the twins are nearly eighteen.</p>
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